Strong Faith

Strong Faith
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Would you like to have strong faith? You might think that would be difficult, but nothing in God’s Word is difficult. For the Christian, t just takes a little persistence; faith should be like water to a fish. It should be your environment. Without faith, you are like a fish out of water.

In Romans 4:20 and 21 we read, “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.” The next verse is the definition of strong faith. “And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform."

Abraham saw that God is not only able to back His Word, He is willing. Some of us have never realized it is the greatest desire of God’s heart to meet every promise He’s given in His Word. Not only is He able to give us all things, He is willing to give them to you. We talk often about God's ability, but we very rarely talk about His willingness.

Abraham found a combination for strong faith: God’s ability and God's will. Without those two there is no basis for faith. Just knowing God is able is no basis for faith. Neither is only knowing God is willing.

Just suppose a rich man was to come before a group of people and say, “I am able to give each one of you ten thousand dollars.” There wouldn’t be anyone who would doubt him, but neither would anyone get excited. Just because he is able, doesn’t mean he is willing. Ability alone is no basis for faith.

On the other hand, suppose a poor man were to stand before the same group and say, “It is the fondest desire of my heart to give each one of you ten thousand dollars.” Someone might pat him on the back and say, “We sure appreciate it. We know you are willing, but you’re not able.” Ability alone is no basis for faith, neither is willingness. However, if you put the two together, you have a combination for faith.

Suppose the rich man jumped up and said, “I am also willing to give each one of you ten thousand dollars.” Everyone would run to be in the receiving line.

Ability plus willingness produces a foundation for faith. The same holds true for any promise in God’s Word. First, you must know God is able to back His promise, and then you need to know He is willing.

I know what you are probably thinking. “I know God is able and willing. I must have strong faith.” Notice again what the Word said about Abraham in verse 21, “And being FULLY PERSUADED that what He promised, He was able also to perform.” Are you fully persuaded?

It’s easy to sit in church and say you are fully persuaded God is able and willing. While reading a book or listening to a teaching you might be excited about God’s promises. However, you will never know if you are FULLY PERSUADED until you face the real situation and put your faith to the test. The faith of Abraham did not start out being strong. The faith of Abraham BECAME strong as he used it through the opposition.

There are too many armchair quarterbacks in faith today who are telling everyone what they would do if they met certain situations. You do not know what you would do until you face those same situations.

Faith is a growing process, and so is the knowledge of God’s ability and willingness to meet His promises. "God is able to save them to the uttermost that come to Him." (Hebrews 7:25) "He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (1 Peter 3:9) There is the combination. God is able to save and God is willing to save.

I was raised in Pentecostal churches, and I remember prayer request time. Someone would stand up and say, “Let’s remember Sister Smith. She’s in the hospital.
The doctors have given her up to die. They say she won’t live until the end of the week. But we know GOD IS ABLE.” Everyone would say, “Amen, Yes, Amen.”

What has that person said? Nothing. They might as well say, “Sister Smith is sick. The doctors don’t expect her to live until the end of the week, and a rich man is able to give each one of us ten thousand dollars.” That has as much to do with faith as “God is able.”

For so long, why have we said in connection with healing, “God is able”? Because for years, we have based healing on experience rather than on the Word of God.

Sometimes we have prayed and people were healed, other times we have prayed and they were not healed. So all we will say is “God is able.” That way if He heals we’re alright, or if He doesn’t heal we can’t be blamed. Whether He does or He doesn’t heal we’re off the hook.

It takes a person who really believes and knows the Word of God to say “God is also willing.” You may not get very many “Amens,” but you will be scriptural. Faith for healing cannot be based on God’s ability alone.

Do you wonder why the world has such a bad image of God? We could be partly to blame because for the longest time we have expressed God’s ability and left His willingness out. Most unbelievers believe God is able to do anything. However, just because they believe God is able does not bring them any nearer to heaven or salvation. Often we expect to receive God’s blessings based on the same belief as an unbeliver--God is able.

Let’s suppose we had two individuals in the church, one was rich and the other poor. The rich man is able to give you a loan, but he won’t do it. The poor man doesn’t have the money, but if he did he would be willing to give it to you. Who would you have more respect for? The poor man, wouldn’t you? You would have little or no respect for a man, who was able to bless others, but not willing to do so.

We have been looking at God like that for years. God has all the resources of heaven, but we don’t know if He is willing to give them to us or not. No wonder there is a lack of respect for God today.

There is one instance in the Word of God where somebody doubted God’s ability. Mark 9:17-22 recounts an instance when Jesus came down from the mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James and John. The other disciples couldn’t cast the devil out of a little child. They had all failed when Jesus came to them.

Beginning in verse 17, “And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; and wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him unto me. And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him: and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. And he asked his father, how long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him:” Notice this statement, “but if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us."

”If thou canst do anything...” He doubted the very ability of Jesus to heal. You might say, “If I had been there I would have at least believed He was able,” but would you after you had seen nine failures in a row?

This man brought his son to the disciples and nine men who had followed Jesus could not cast that devil out. Now he turns to Jesus and says, “What are you going to do? You are the ringleader. Can you do anything?” In verse 23 we read, “Jesus said unto him, if thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” He is saying, “I am able, but you must believe it.” Continuing in verse 24, “And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord,I believe: help thou mine unbelief.”

I’ll tell you what the man said, “Lord I believe you’re able, I’m having trouble with the willing part. I believe, help thou my unbelief.” Jesus healed the man's child. Let me tell you why: the man was honest.

Too many people are teaching the message of faith that you must reach some great spiritual level before you can ask God for anything. This is incorrect. Jesus will meet you at your level. Just be honest. Tell Him, “I’ll use the faith I have, but Lord help me with my unbelief.”

We have another story in Matthew where a leper doubted Jesus’ willingness. In Matthew 8:1-3 it says, “When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes
followed him. And behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.”

He said, “I know you are able, I don’t know if you’re willing.” Jesus met his need. Notice verse 3, “And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him saying, I will." (The Greek says “I will it. It is my will.”) Be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”

I want to ask you a question. In either case, the man with the demon possessed child, or the man with leprosy; did Jesus commend either man as being strong in faith? No! Because strong faith is being FULLY PERSUADED of His ability and willingness.

The theme of God’s ability and willingness runs throughout Matthew 8.

Another store is related in Matthew 8:5-10: “And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him. And saying, Lord my servant lieth at home sick of palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith no, not in Israel.”

The same was said of Abraham.

Verse 11 continues, “And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Jesus is simply saying, “I haven’t found this kind of faith in Israel, my home.” There is coming a day in the kingdom of heaven when people will come from the east and from the west (a reference to Gentiles) and will sit down with the fathers of the Jewish faith Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. However, the children of the kingdom (Jews) will be cast into outer darkness.

The Jews thought they automatically ahd an "in" with God because they were born Jews. But physical birth doesn’t mean anything with the Lord; it’s the new birth that matters. This man expressed faith and that’s what Jesus had been looking for.

In verse 13 we read, “And Jesus said unto the centurion, go thy way and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the self same hour.” I have been emphasizing the fact that the centurion came to Jesus for his servant. This is important because this story is told twice in the gospels and they seemingly contradict.

Many liberals jump on these stories to prove the Bible is inaccurate. Let’s take a closer look by reading this story again from Luke 7:1-10, “Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum. And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear unto him was sick, and ready to die. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, that he was worthy for whom he should do this: for he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue. Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. For I also as a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel. And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.”

We don’t need to go very far in the story to discover that it totally contradicts the story in Matthew. In Matthew it is stated the centurion came to see Jesus, but in Luke it stated the centurion never even left his house and sent the elders of the Jews to meet Jesus.

Jesus approached his house and before he ever arrived, the centurion sent out friends or servants to stop Jesus. They said "Speak the word from here and the servant will be healed in the house." Again, the centurion never left the house.

There appears to be a contradiction. Does the Bible contradict itself? No! It never does. Here’s where liberals jump all over the Bible and say, “It’s just a bunch of myths and fables. We can’t believe it.” But the Word of God does not contradict itself. Where is the connection?

In the day in which this was written, when one man was sent out in the name of another man, it was as if the man came himself. The Holy Spirit inspired Matthew to say the centurion came himself when he actually sent representatives in his name.

That gets me excited. Whose name have we been sent in? The name of Jesus. When I go somewhere and speak, it’s Jesus speaking. Jesus told his disciples before he left, “These signs shall follow them that believe, in my name, they shall cast out devils.” Do you think the devil leaves because you’re such a hot shot? No. He leaves because you use that name!

"In My name they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover." When you lay hands on somebody and speak the name of Jesus, you are standing in His place. Jesus said, “Whatever you loose on earth, I’ll loose in heaven whatever you bind on earth, I’ll bind in heaven.” (Matthew 18:18)

The name of Jesus is the key. Jesus came in His Father’s name and did his Father’s work. Jesus said one time, “To see me is to see the Father.” However, the crowning touch comes in John 13:20 where Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me.” We’ve been sent in the name of Jesus. I haven’t lost my train of thought. We are still on God’s ability and God’s willingness. Jesus said this man had great faith and the definition of great faith, like Abraham, is being fully persuaded that God is able and willing. So where does that fit into the story?

Imagine for just a moment, you are a disciple and are with Jesus. The representatives for the centurion, the Jews, came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, we have a master at home, a centurion. He has a sick servant. Will you come and heal him?’ I imagine one of the disciples turned to the other and one said, “I’ll bet Jesus is going to tell him to bring him to the mass healing meeting next week. Jesus has been healing so many multitudes, surely He won’t take time to heal one man.”

But Jesus said, “I’ll go.” I imagine those disciples thought, “What is He thinking?” This was not a two-mile trip, like the time he raised Lazarus from the dead. This was twenty miles, one way! It was a full days journey. Not only did Jesus have to walk, so did the disciples. The entire journey they were probably grumbling. When they finally were within eye distance of the house and the centurion sent servants out to stop Jesus from coming saying, “Don’t trouble yourself,” I can imagine one disciple turning to another and saying, “Don’t trouble yourself! We just walked twenty miles out of our way and he says don’t trouble yourself!” The servants said, “Speak the word from here and the servant inside the house will be healed.” I can see Peter saying, “Speak the word here? Why couldn’t Jesus have spoken it back there in Jerusalem? Why did we have to come twenty miles to speak it?” While the disciples were murmuring among themselves, Jesus turned to his disciples and said “This is great faith.”

We’ve looked at the story from outside the house, now let’s look at it from the inside.

The centurion was in his house with his servant dying, wanting to help, but not knowing what to do. I imagine one day one of his servants said, “Sir, there is a man named Jesus Christ. I saw him raise a dead boy in a funeral procession while I was in Jerusalem. Jesus went over and touched him and he immediately sat up and was whole. The mourners had to all leave. Instead of sadness there was shouting in the streets.

Another servant said, “Sir, I also saw him heal a blind man. He came and put his hands on the blind man’s eyes and that man could see instantly.” A third servant said, “I saw a man with leprosy. Jesus touched him and the leprosy departed from him.” The centurion must have questioned them further, “Is this true? Do you mean this?” The testimonies of the servants proved to the centurion that Jesus was able. So he sent the elders of the Jews to get Jesus knowing one thing: Jesus was able.
Knowing that, Jesus walked twenty miles to prove he was willing.

I imagine the centurion walked around for two days wringing his hands. I’m sure he asked his servants over and over to repeat their stories about the miracles they had witnessed.

Then one day the servants were standing by the window and as they were looking outside they saw the elders returning. They told the centurion, “Sir, the elders of the Jews are coming. And sir, there are several men with them. And sir, Jesus is with them!”

Imagine the centurion running to the window, looking out, and saying, “He’s willing, He’s willing. Glory to God, He’s willing! Tell him to stop right there. I don’t need anymore. Speak the word from there and my servant will be healed in here.”

The servants ran out and told Jesus, “Stop, stop Jesus. The master says if you’ll just speak the word from here the servant will be healed in there.” Jesus said to his disciples, “That’s what I’ve been looking for. That’s great faith like Abraham had. I haven’t found this kind of faith at home.”

If Jesus came to your house, would He commend you for your faith. In all these cases, Jesus met the need. However, the only one He commended was the centurion. Don’t doubt God’s willingness to meet your family crisis.

He is compassionate toward your spouse and children. Let your mouth shout God’s Word. Sickness and financial difficulties will crumble when you speak of His mercy.

Bob Yandian

If you like this article, check out The Power of Faith at the BYM Store. Also available from the store is the book, Faith's Destination.